Nights By The Fire
by Rinnu500
Summary: Spending the nights on guard duty with the various members (and stalkers) of the El search party. From Rena's POV.
1. Ara Haan

**Ritsu: A short series of oneshots (kind of?) starring the El search party and their stalkers (I'M LOOKING AT YOU ADD AND ELESIS). Sort of from Rena's point of view, I guess? And a warning, I'm not exactly an expert on the characters, so some OOC is bound to happen.**

**Ara: Ritsu doesn't own Elsword, she wishes she did though!**

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><p>Rena let out a quiet but happy sigh as she threw another log onto the campfire. Tonight she was on guarding duty with Ara, though the fox girl herself had dozed off a few minutes earlier. Rena considered waking her up, but thought she'd at least give the girl a little time to relax.<p>

_After all, _Rena mused. _She has it pretty rough, what with her brother and all…_

Aren.

Or Ran, nowadays.

A name that made Rena nervous. Only a handful of things could make Rena waver, as she had a long life of much experience. But having caught a mere glance of what Ara's once kind brother had become truly frightened her. _I never thought humans were truly capable of such evil…_

This time Rena's sigh was one tinged with sadness. _She's barely an adult and already she's suffered so much. It's a shame._

She glanced at the sleeping girl who was lightly snoring in her sleep. A small smile settled on Rena's lip at the sight. "I should probably wake her up now… before someone else wakes up. The poor girl would get quite the scolding…" she spoke with a small chuckle, standing up quietly.

Tip-toeing over to Ara, she crouched down and put her hand on the sleeping girl's shoulder. She hesitated when Ara let out a quiet mumble.

"Aren…"

Rena's gaze softened. _Dreaming happily of your brother, are you?_

She stood back up, leaving Ara to her happy dream.

"I suppose I can take the guard by myself for tonight," Rena trailed off, taking a deep breath. The small forest they were in had little in regards of danger.

"She deserves to dream of the happier moments she's had with her brother…"

Rena closed her eyes and frowned.

"After all… we might be facing him soon."

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><p><strong>Ritsu: Buuuueeeeeehhh. Dedicated to my friend (she knows who she is). ((I'LL WRITE YOU ONE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HANG OUT I PROMISE BBY)).<strong>

**These will vary in length, most likely, so bear with me XD**


	2. Raven

**Ritsu: Today we shall bother Raven!**

**Raven: …**

**Ritsu: Read my disclaimer, if you would ^-^**

**Raven: … *sigh* Ritsu doesn't own Elsword.**

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><p>The party had advanced quicker than they had before, Rena noted, as they'd made it through an entire region in the same amount of time it had usually taken them just to get partway through. While she had no trouble keeping the pace, she did worry if they were moving too quick.<p>

"Will we really be ready, when the time comes...?" she mumbled, not expecting an answer to her question. When an answer came, however, she jumped in surprise.

"Some of us will. Others… I'm not so sure," the voice belonging to Raven spoke. Rena had forgotten he was on guard duty with her this time. She glanced at him before settling her eyes on the fire.

"Ara is my main concern. I'm not sure if she'll be able to fight her brother, when it comes down to it…" Rena continued, voicing her worries out loud. Raven wasn't the most enthusiastic speaker, but he was one of the few who provided sensible conversation when needed. And Rena was far too entwined with her worries and in need of serious conversation.

Raven sat down opposite of Rena and he too gazed into the fire.

"Eun is the bigger worry," he stated, his voice leveled.

Rena blinked, but quickly realized he had a point. Eun _was_ a bigger worry. Not so much for the battle against Ran, but rather because Eun could make Ara go out of control at any time. _I doubt it will happen… but it's a possibility…_

The two grew quiet. While Raven did provide conversation, that didn't mean he provided very much of it. But Rena found herself wondering if he was the same with everyone.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died on her lips when she met Raven's piercing gaze. Her own look paled in comparison. He didn't look angry, per se, but he looked almost… _frustrated_.

"Does it bother you?" Rena asked, not breaking eye contact.

Raven gave her a questioning look and Rena looked down at the fire once more.

"That I look like her."

Rena would've found the sudden tension uncomfortable if she hadn't been expecting it. She glanced upwards only to see that Raven was looking anywhere but at her.

"I understand if it does, and I take no offense because of it," she continued, lacing her hands together underneath her chin.

"If I said it did, would you leave?" Raven suddenly questioned, now meeting her stare.

Rena's eyes softened.

"No,"

The smallest of smiles settled upon Raven's lips.

"Good answer."

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><p>Ritsu: Do these even make sense? I dunno anymore! DX Yeah, no RavenxRena. Sorry to those who are fans to it, but it's not my cup of tea. For those who don't know, Rena apparently looks a lot like Raven's dead fiancé, whom is the 'her' which Rena mentions.<p> 


	3. Elsword

**Ritsu: ELBOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIII!**

**Elsword: … You're stupid.**

**Ritsu: … Well, I'm smarter than you ^-^**

**Elsword: … Fine, then I'm not reading your disclaimer!**

**Ritsu: Pfft, as if you can even read.**

**Elsword: Yes I can! "Ritsu doesn't own Elsword, as in, the game. She does 'own' Elsword the character cause he's stup-" HEY!**

**Ritsu: :J Also, I suppose I should explain that I have everyone at their 'first' job level, regardless of how it fits the story. Basically it's just for the sake of the characters being older. Yeah… Also, Rena is a Trapping Ranger in this. As I went Night Watcher myself it's the class I know best. Hope nobody minds .**

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><p>Rena let out a soft giggle, watching Elsword battle an invisible enemy in his sleep. <em>I'd better wake him up. Aisha will throw a fit if she finds out he fell asleep during guard duty.<em>

Rena gave Elsword's shoulder a gentle shake in an attempt to wake him up. He stirred but let out a loud snore before turning over on his side. Rena sighed and shook him harder. This time he let out a groan and attempted to smack her hands off of him. Rena felt her eyebrows twitch.

"Wake up, Elsword…" she spoke in a hushed but annoyed tone. Elsword let out a low mumble before his eyes fluttered open.

"… What is it?" he asked with a loud yawn. Rena cocked her head to the side.

"You're on guard duty with me tonight," she explained in an exasperated tone. While she certainly thought of the boy as a good friend, he could be quite a handful at times. Her words seemed to wake him up, however. He quickly sat up, nearly knocking Rena off her feet.

"Time to train!"

_Is that all he's got on his mind..?_ Rena let out an awkward chuckle. _Well, he did mention wanting to get as strong as his sister…_ she mused to herself with a shake of her head. Resisting the urge to sigh, Rena followed Elsword and sat down by a tree, propping her back up against it. Rena sometimes felt like she was expected to be the mature adult (besides Raven) and that the others often thought she never felt frustrated.

That was why she loved watching Elsword train. Whenever she felt frustrated or angry (which had become more common the further they ventured) just watching him slash at a tree or an improvised target did wonders for her mind.

Elsword himself never really understood why Rena would quietly watch him rather than yell at him to actually pay attention and stand guard like Aisha would. Even Chung tended to tell him off when he wasn't 'guarding' properly.

He even asked Raven once what he thought, receiving only an amused glance in response. To Elsword it seemed perfectly reasonable to be able to train and guard the camp at the same time.

But since Rena never complained (except when he was sleeping during his shifts) he never actually asked her.

Rena reacted with mild surprise when he suddenly stopped in the middle of a stab to turn around and stare at her.

"Hey Rena?" he started, gaining a nod signaling him to continue. "How come you never complain when I train during my guard shifts?"

Rena blinked, a barely noticeable blush rising to her cheeks. She couldn't possibly tell him it was because it helped her vent her frustrations and anger. She glanced at her hands as she formulated an answer.

"While it might provide some tactical disadvantage, you're technically still paying attention to your surroundings and besides, we have two people on guard duty every night for a reason," she answered, not completely lying (just not telling the whole truth).

Elsword cocked his head to the side, a confused look on his face.

"Ummm…"

Rena let out a short laugh.

"What I mean is that I trust you'll notice any enemies regardless of what you're doing," she put in simpler terms, gaining a look of understanding.

"Aha! I get it," Elsword spoke with a grin. A look of thought suddenly crossed his face.

"Hey, do you wanna spar?"

Rena blinked, looking confused.

"Ah… well, I suppose…" she mumbled after some consideration. _Perhaps I'll feel a bit calmer afterwards…_

"Ah, but you can't use your bow!" he was quick to add when Rena reached for said weapon. She shook her head with a smile and summoned Erendil instead.

"Fair enough."

The others awoke to the sight of Rena and Elsword still locked in battle, happy grins on both of their faces.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING ATTENTION AT ALL WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GUARD THE CAMP?!"

Aisha was ignored.

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><p>Ritsu: Whew, that was fun to write~ Any OOC-ness, I shall apologize for. I think I did well with Elsword's character? Anyways~ Hope you enjoyed it~ c: Next up is Aisha!<p> 


	4. Aisha

**Ritsu: Aisha is probably the character I know the least about as she doesn't appeal to me much. Regardless, I shall do my best! C: Also, I'm considering making chapters for NPCs as well, though possibly as another series rather than part of this.**

**Aisha: Pshh, Ritsu doesn't own Elsword. She's not smart enough.**

**Ritsu: You have a point, actually… And if you haven't noticed, the spacing between the events in the chapters is varied. Some have a week between them, this one for example is the next day.**

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><p>"And how could you just let him play his childish little sparring games?! I expected you of all people to understand the importance of safety!" Aisha continued to scold Rena for her actions the previous night. Rena flashed Aisha a sheepish smile but remained quiet, accepting the scolding. <em>If she doesn't get these things out of her system she'll probably bloat like a balloon and explode,<em> Rena thought humorously. Aisha yelled out a 'are you listening to me?!' and gained a happy nod from Rena.

Aisha let out an annoyed sigh.

"I'm surrounded by idiots…" she muttered.

"We're not the brightest, I admit," Rena begun, catching Aisha's attention. "But we look after eachother, at least," she finished with a smile. Aisha pouted but begrudgingly agreed with a nod of her head.

"Don't worry so much, Aisha. You'll get wrinkles," Rena spoke in a gentle tone, attempting to appease the young girl. "How is your study of spells going?"

"It's going fine, I guess… It'd be going better if Elsword didn't doodle all over my books constantly!" Aisha started in a calm tone but it soon escalated up a notch. Rena sighed.

"Elsword said he stopped though. And he did apologize," Rena noted calmly. Aisha crossed her arms and let out a huff.

"Well, someone is ruining my books! And when I find out who it is I'm gonna- I'm gonna!"

_Ahh… Aisha is a very spirited girl, I'll say… It's a shame she's so angry all the time…_

Rena remembered plenty of times when the two of them had been discussing topics and they had a great time until they stumbled upon a topic Aisha could relate to Elsword.

_Is this how all humans behave when they dislike someone? When I was their age I was a very responsible child... I suppose she just has a temper?_

"Say, Aisha… do you think it would be possible for me to learn magic? Perhaps you could try teaching me?"

Aisha blinked and gave Rena a long stare. To most it would look like she was simply thinking it over, but Rena knew Aisha would never miss an opportunity to flaunt her talents.

"Hmph, you will have to do everything I say. And no complaining!"

Rena smiled, her eyes closed.

"Very well."

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><p><strong>Ritsu: Sorry it's short. I find Aisha difficult to write… <strong>


	5. Chung Seiker

**Ritsu: Yay for slow updates! Yeah, super busy at the moment, but I'm trying my best! Enjoy this chapter! Also, this chapter onwards everyone is at job level 2. Chung went Deadly Chaser (I'll letcha know the ones who are necessary as the story progresses)**

**Chung: Miss Ritsu doesn't own Elsword.**

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><p>Rena let out a sigh. <em>Tonight is going to be difficult…<em>

During the day, Ara and Chung had a minor disagreement. Or rather, it wasn't very minor. The two had argued about Ran. _Of course… this was bound to happen eventually…_

Chung had good reasons for wanting Ran dead, but Rena could understand that killing Ran would cause Ara a lot of grief.

_If only there was some way of… I don't know… Killing Ran, but not Aren…_

Rena sighed once more, glancing over at her quiet companion for the night. Chung was not a happy camper. He was practically glaring at the fire. _He can still be childish, I see. _

Rena opened her mouth to speak, but when Chung glanced upwards and met her gaze she froze. _… What can I say?_

She closed her mouth and broke eye contact, now staring at her hands in her lap. Chung's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden loss of spirit.

"Miss Rena..?"

"… I honestly don't know what to do… Or what to say. How am I supposed to fix this..?" Rena mumbled, closing her eyes. Chung blinked, utterly confused.

"Fix..? What do you mean?"

Rena's lips formed a sad smile.

"The group. I can't figure it out. I haven't lost my family… I chose to enter the mortal world. I don't have any siblings… I don't know what it's like to fight one of my own…"

Chung lowered his head, a twinge of guilt in his eyes.

"I am sorry that our… disagreement has troubled you, Miss Rena… But rest assured, it's something we'll solve, eventually," he spoke, clenching his fists.

"I… don't want you to feel like it's _your_ responsibility to fix everyone else's troubles, Miss Rena…"

Rena shook her head, keeping her eyes closed.

"I'm the oldest. I should be able to keep this group together… but the further we travel, the greater the gap between everyone grows…"

Rena hadn't realized it (bringing an ounce of shame to her elven hearing), but Chung had gotten up and had walked over to her. He stopped in front of her and crouched down on his knee.

"Miss Rena," he began, raising his left hand and placing it on her hands. "Fights are… bound to happen. And just because you're the oldest it doesn't mean it's only your responsibility. We all… need to take more responsibility. All of us need to work to hold this group together," his right hand gently cupped her cheek, the thumb wiping away an unshed tear.

"So please… don't cry, Miss Rena…" he finished as Rena opened her eyes. Even when he was crouching, he was almost taller than her, his eyes giving her a steady and determined gaze. Rena frowned, but tried to give Chung a small smile as he gave he lowered his right hand to give both of her hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Chung…" she started, taking a deep breath. She steadily met his gaze, though her eyes held some worry. _I… I should tell him..._

"Chung, I-"

At that moment, Elsword decided to leave his tent. His reasons? No one knew. Probably something simple, like taking a leak or going off to train.

The consequences?

"Wow, Chung, are you asking Rena out?! Finally! Raven owes me five thousand ED!"

"Ah, E-Elsword! Wh-what are you?! Mi-Miss Rena, thi-this is-! I-I mean-!"

"Huh- Oh, hey Raven! Chung asked Rena out! You owe me, pay up!"

"He's on his knee though, looks like he's proposing. So in fact, it seems _you_ owe _me_."

"N-Not you too, Raven!"

"Ah, hello, Ara."

"Oooh, Chung looks very flushed! Did they do it?"

"No, so you owe me as well."

"Awww…"

"Ju-Just how many of you are in on this thing?!"

They all turned to look at Rena as she let out a quiet giggle, shaking her head.

_I guess Chung is right… even though they argued, it's already been fixed… Perhaps I should put more faith in our bonds of friendship…_


	6. Add

**Ritsu: So… I love all the characters (some less than others…)… But Add? He's special to me. **

**Add: You're not special to me.**

**Ritsu: … ouch.**

**Add: Ritsu doesn't own this… Elsword game.**

**Ritsu: Add's Mastermind in this! Also, sorry for the late update, but school has kept me busy. I graduate in less than a month and I really don't want to fail classes, so my assignments have been taking priority. Sowwy~!**

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><p>Rena felt conflicted. Not because of what had happened a few days earlier, with Chung, but rather the fact that Elsword had managed to convince everyone to have Add on guard duty for the night.<p>

Elsword. Convince.

Words she did not normally place in the same sentence.

She did not mistrust Add, per se, but he made her… uncomfortable. He held such an obsession for Eve and Rena worried it would drive him to do something he'd regret.

When Add had been nominated to take guard duty, Raven was quick to claim he'd go on duty along with him, but was quickly shot down when Ara told him he couldn't.

"_You were on guard duty yesterday! And you promised you'd teach me how to play chess,"_

It was obvious to everyone (except, perhaps, Elsword) who Add wanted on guard duty with him and a majority of the group weren't exactly thrilled at the idea of joining him in Eve's stead. And so, Rena volunteered. Chung had voiced some doubts about her decision, reminding her of what he'd told her about trying to shoulder everything, but Rena convinced him it was merely because she wanted to get to know Add better (And protect Eve's code).

Though this seemed to have made Chung more upset as he'd agreed, but it had been a reluctant agreement.

Add wasn't much of a speaker, Rena quickly concluded. Unless you counted his mutters and mumbles that would occasionally drift Rena's way. And so, Rena silently watched him tinker with his Dynamos, not wanting to disturb him. She noticed he'd sometime glance over at her, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, or annoyance, she couldn't tell.

Rena wasn't quite sure how long she'd been observing Add, but he suddenly turned around and gave Rena an annoyed glare.

"What?"

Rena blinked, a look of surprise on her face.

"Did I disturb you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. _I'd… rather not say something to upset him. Add is… a complicated person…_

"…" Add simply gave her a long glare, seemingly thinking Rena was a mind reader of some sort. Rena frowned, scratching her cheek.

"I'll stop staring…. Sorry," she spoke, gaining a nod from Add. Rena did wonder why he seemed to be satisfied so quickly and so easily, however. She knew his state of mind was fragile, so to say, but she also knew he wasn't acting quite as himself. _Is that a good thing or not, I wonder? I mean… if he grew to… be saner… That… that would be good, right?_

Rena frowned once more. Add had been calming down somewhat once he'd grown older (or so she theorized, not having met him a lot when he was younger as he'd watch them from a distance rather than confront them openly.) but Rena did not believe he was going to change much for a while.

_Still… he goes easy on Eve, though he's obsessed with her so I guess it's to be expected… the rest of us… well, compared to the others… I seem to get away with things easier. If that had been Raven staring, they probably would've been fighting by now._

And this was what mystified Rena. However, she refrained from asking, not wanting to get into a possible argument. _Perhaps he's simply in a good mood? Or he's nicer than he lets on…_

Rena let a small smile erupt upon her lips. _Or perhaps Eve has changed him… She has changed quite a lot as well…_

Add gave the elf a strange look all the while shaking his head at her behavior. Rena failed to notice the look Add sent her as she was lost in her thoughts. She rather liked how Add had grown to be more gentle and caring, in his own way. Sure, he held little care for anyone but Eve (except for Raven's fascinating arm or the occasional stories Rena would share about elves) but he wouldn't leave someone to die (_most_ of the time).

"Elf,"

_He really finds Nasods fascinating… I can't really understand that fascination well. While Eve is a friend of mine… I tend to forget she's a Nasod and not a human… So it's hard for me to find her as interesting, although she's certainly not boring!_

"…. Oi,"

_I wonder just what happened to him though… to make him the way he is. I doubt he'd tell me if I asked, but… maybe if we found out the root of the problem…_

A sudden rough shove against her shoulder and Add's face right in front of hers dragged her out of her thoughts. Add didn't quite get the concept of personal space.

"Instead of sitting there with a goofy grin on your face like you're high on something, tell me about elves already,"

Rena blinked, an 'Eh?' leaving her lips before she understood. _I guess that's his way of saying he wants to hear a story… _

Gently pushing him out of her personal bubble, she nodded. "Okay, let's see… I'll tell you about the Yggdrasil armor of legend. The one the first elf made from bark of the legendary tree of life…" Rena began before completely immersing herself to her story.

Add tinkered away at his dynamos in silence, listening to the elf chatter.

The tiniest ghost of a smile could be seen upon his lips.


End file.
